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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hand — help
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com